Garment leg ironer



Nov. 21, '1939.

J. H. LEEF 2.180941 GARMENT LEG IRONER I Filed July 14, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet: 1'

Nov. 21, 1939. J, H, LEEF GARMENT LEG IRONER Filed July 14, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 21, 1939. J. H. LEEF GARMENT LEG IRONER Filed July 14, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 J Mia 15'. Lee) 2193?? Patented Nov. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES GARMENT LEG IRONER John H. Leef, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application July 14, 1938, \Serial No. 219,148

2 Claims.

My present invention is in the nature of an improvement on that type of garment ironing apparatus disclosed and claimed in Letters Patent 1 of the United States No. 1,937,656 issued of date December 3, 1933, to myself, John H. Leef, and George H. Leef, and entitled Garment leg ironer. The present application is also entitled Garment leg ironer, and while especially designed and. adapted for ironing the sleeves of garments, such as jackets, nurses and soldiers uniforms and the like, is also adapted for ironing the legs of garments such as overalls and the like.

A complete ironing apparatus of this character involves two ironing devices in which each ironing device involves a fixed and a relatively movable boot. In one respect the present apparatus is an improvement on the prior apparatus in that the boots of the two ironing devices are forwardly curved from their bases to tips, in'planes that diverge from the bases of the co-operating boots. This arrangement is an improvement over the previous arrangement wherein the boots were set in parallel planes, in that the two ironing devices better adapt themselves to the form of the sleeves of the jacket or the like or to the legs of overalls or like trousers.

The nature of the improvement of the present apparatus is in the formation or provision of the boots with transverse channels or recesses in which the seams of a jacket or like garment enter to bring the shoulders of the garment into complete contact with rounded ironing surfaces of the boots. This feature will more fully be described in the following detailed description of the commercial form of the apparatus.

The invention also involves an improvement in the mounting link that supports the movable boot from the co-operating fixed boot, whereby a variation in the tension of the link and adjustment of the movable boot in respect to the fixed boot may be regulated.

The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective showing the complete ironing apparatus involving two ironing devices mounted on a common base in the novel arrangement indicated, and illustrating the arrangement of the notches or channels in the boots;

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1 but with some parts broken away and showing a garment such as a jacket applied on the ironing devices;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken through one of the ironing devices on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an axial section taken through one of the ironing devices involving two connected boots,

one of which is fixed and the other of which is Ii relatively movable.

The boots of the ironing apparatus are preferably quite heavy hollow cast steam-heated members. The relatively fixed boot 8 hasa flanged base and the lower end is bolted or otherwise 10 rigidly secured to a common supporting table 9 which, in the structureillustrated, is, supported by legs Hi. The relatively movable boots II are connected to the co-operating fixed boots and supported for forward and rearward movements and 15 for rocking movements by links l2, preferably of flat spring steel, the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to the movable boots by pins I3. The boots H, on their inner faces, are recessed at M to afford clearance for the upper ends of the links 12, and the inner faces of the fixed boots 8 are provided with long recesses l5 into which the bodies of the links may be forced when the two boots are pressed together. The lower ends of the links l2, in the particular structure 5 illustrated, are slipped in between the backs of the recesses l5 and transverse bars I6 and I1, preferably cast integral with the said boots 8.

Set-screws l8 and I9 work with threaded engagement through the bars l6 and impinge on the lower portion of the links l2. By adjustment of the set-screws l8 and I9, the resilient link I2 can be lengthened or shortened and varied in its spring tension. Under the actionof gravity the boots II will tend to move away from the 00- operating fixed boots 8 and the resilience in the link 12 will co-operate in affecting that result. The movable boots II will pivot on the pins l3 so as to adapt the two boots to the exact shape of the garment sleeve.

The supporting links [2 applied as described securely hold the movable boots against lateral swaying movements in respect to the fixed boots but with freedom for movement of the movable boots toward and from the fixed boots.

Steam or hot fluid medium for heating the boots 8 and H may be supplied in any suitable way. As shown, steam pipes 20 and 2| extend respectively into the boots 8 and II through drain pipes 22 and 23. The connections to and from the pipes 2| and 23 include flexible sections 24 that permit free movements of the boots II. The table or face plate 9 is provided with radiating clearance slots 25 that permit the free movements of the boots II and drain pipe 23 and associated connections.

As the main feature of the invention, the boots 8 and II, on their outer sides near their lower ends, are provided, respectively, with deeply out segmental channels or grooves 26 and 21, respectively. These channels 26 and 21 are deep enough to clear the widest shoulder seams and they are curved to fit the natural curve of the seams. By reference particularly to Fig. 4, it will be noted that just above the channels or grooves 26 and 21 the boots are formed with curved shoulder ironing surfaces 28 that are substantially alike in both of the boots. It is important to note that the channels 26 and 21 in the boots 8 and H are in alignment so that they act substantially as a continuous channel irrespective of the adjustment of the two boots.

In Figs. 2, 3 and 4 a garment, such as a jacket, is indicated as an entirety by the character A. When the garment is applied as shown in these views the seams will enter the channels or grooves 27 and the fullness of the sleeve shoulders will be stretched out and completely ironed by the surfaces 28. In actual practice it has been found that boots designed as described will very effectively and completely iron the shoulders of the jackets, shirts and the like and that the lower rounded portions of the boots may be utilized to iron a considerable portion of the body of the garment.

In the preferred form of the device the boots are curved longitudinally and in cross-section are of a form quite closely approximating triangular. This structure enables the co-operating boots to be moved flatwise together when the garment sleeve or the like presses them into such close contact. The rounded sides of the boots smoothly and evenly press the garment and give the sleeve or leg an approximately elliptical form, best shown in Fig. 3.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that the device described is capable of modification as to details of construction and arrangement of parts within the scope of the invention herein disclosed and claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In an ironing apparatus, an ironing device involving co-operating boots, the one being movable toward and from the other, said boots in their sides having co-incident aligned channels formed with rounded surfaces adapted to enter and press out the shoulders of a garment sleeve or the like telescoped over the said two co-operating boots.

2. An ironing apparatus comprising two pairs of ironing devices, each device involving a fixed and a relatively movable boot, said co-operating boots having co-incident aligned channels formed with rounded ironing surfaces adapted to enter and press out the shoulders of garment sleeves or the like, the grooves of the boots of the said two ironing devices being formed in the oppositely and out-facing sides of the said two pairs of boots.

JOHN H. LEEF. 

